ROAD RUNNING: New course record in Rugby 10 mile

Arriving last without any time for a proper warm up did winner Toby Spencer no harm at all in Sunday’s Rugby 10 mile road race.

Winner Toby Spencer of Coventry Godiva

He produced an exceptionally blistering run to finish more than five minutes clear of the 200-strong field in what is easily a new course record of 50-53.

Defending his title the Coventry Godiva athlete knocked more than a minute and a half off last year’s winning time of 52-27.

In ideal conditions, the 26-year-old led from the start at Barby, opening up a two-minute gap by the two-mile mark.

Despite an excellent season Spencer hadn’t been expected to be quite so fast, predicting something more around the 51-30 mark.

Second-placed Andrew Siggers

“It does help having run the course before,” he explained. “Once you know where the hills are you know how to run it a bit quicker.”

Preparing for the Manchester Half Marathon next weekend, Spencer won the Cheltenham Half Marathon last weekend and set a new course record in winning the Stratford 6 in July.

In second place, the 2014 race winnerRugby School teacher Andrew Siggers was pleased to be running again after recovering from a series of injury problems right up until the end of August. A member of Kenilworth Runners, he clocked 56-23.

The host club Rugby & Northampton AC’s Stephen Marks was third in 56-40, pleased with his time being two minutes quicker than last year.

Rugby & Northampton's Stephen Marks was third

Rugby & Northampton took the Men’s team prize, with Marks joined by Dean Oldfield (8th in 1-01.16), Iain Botheroyd (12th in 1-02.17) and Jamie Sinclair (14th in 1-02.31) the counting quartet. Kenilworth Runners were second.